When we think about the word “science”, the simple definition of the word comes to mind. The definition usually implies that we strive to understand our natural and social environment using systematic methods based on factual evidence. In other words, we expand our knowledge using thought processes to understand the world better.
However, science extends beyond the mere study of the natural environment and delves into a myriad of different practices. Some common science practices nowadays include computer, religious, and social sciences. Those are just a few basic non-natural science types; all science types are used to mold a missing piece into a giant puzzle to better our understanding.
With all of the science practices working to build the giant puzzle, there is a question that arises. Does science have a stopping point? The giant puzzle seems to infinitely expand further into the unknown with each passing discovery or creation with no end in sight.
According to the YouTube video Will Science Ever End? by Sciencephile the AI, science will eventually reach a point where everything we know and understand will be unfalsifiable. Even with that statement being cheerful and exciting, the time to reach that point will take many opposing years.
With the answer to science having a stopping point covered, the next question comes to mind. Who is going to reach that stopping point? The answers that all science practices seek range from quick to long excruciating failures. Unfortunately, because of our lifespans, we will be unable to see the unfalsifiable stopping point of science currently.
Though we may not be able to see the giant puzzle completed, our contributions to science today help generations in the future achieve that goal. By giving them collective knowledge, they can accelerate the process toward our goal of understanding everything.
All of this sounds great so far; we know that there is a stopping point for science and roughly who will reach that goal. However, the next question comes to mind with curiosity. What does an unfalsifiable world look like?
Referencing the YouTube video Karl Popper, Science, & Pseudoscience: Crash Course Philosophy #8 by CrashCourse, they mention that ancient Greek philosophers used the scientific method to observe the world with no preconceived notions. Before any factual evidence was made, philosophers decided to assume and test theories before claiming evidence.
Therefore, a world without either preconceived or non-preconceived notions would be simply knowing something without having to assume anything. That sounds absolutely fantastic and everyone should be happy in a world where everything makes sense.
Yet, while we know that knowing anything sounds awesome, there are bound to be problems. Science may be a human advancement of things, but science can also be used to foil that advancement. Information can be manipulated, truths can be hidden, and paywalls can be established for those seeking scientific knowledge.
The human race is known to be manipulative with content that could be a breakthrough for all. Therefore, we must be vigilant in our own understanding of things even if we wish for the answers to be handed to us.
The stopping point of science seems to be already foretold with the amount of time being a factor. There may come a day when we know everything and understand anything. The only issue that really murks that advancement is our own temperaments. Information is a powerful weapon that can even bring science to an end if used correctly and efficiently.
We must believe that the human heart is greater than the mind when discussing the topics of science. Emotions and empathy are what truly drive science toward the inevitable stopping point in the future.
The name “Pondersaur” means “words with a roar” alluding to the creature’s distinct communication.
